While working with a client recently, I was quite surprised when she began to explain to me the difference between a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV). She proceeded by telling me I needed to shorten the CV I made for her because it is only supposed to be a short summary of the resume. Somehow my client had become very confused and really did not know the difference between a resume and a CV.
So what is the difference? The truth is there is not really very much difference between a CV and a resume. The CV is a life’s history (from the Latin curriculum vitae) and is usually much longer than a resume, requiring your full life’s record of employment and education along with some other information such as volunteer work, publications, affiliations, associations, hobbies, interests, activities, and sometimes references (also called referees). While a standard resume ranges from one to three pages, a CV usually consists of anywhere from two to five pages on average.
Contrary to the confusion of my client, the resume is more of a summary of your background and experience. The resume can be compared to a simple brochure where you market the product of yourself to a potential employer without the necessity to include every little bit of your life’s history. While a CV requires much more detail about your life, that does not mean you have to reveal every little thing. The important part about a CV is that it does not raise serious questions about gaps in employment.
Another difference with a resume is that you can play around with the structure in different formats such as a functional resume even though that format is often shunned by many employers. Yet, in a CV, the format is pretty standard and to deviate away too much with creativity is to risk an immediate rejection of your CV. It is best to simply prepare it a standard chronological format with exact dates and other detailed data.
Though the resume is the common format in the United States when applying for a job, the CV is usually the acceptable standard across Europe and other foreign countries. Yet, the CV is also sometimes required in the United States for various applications or participation in boards or other entities. If you are asked for a curriculum vitae, then that it what they want. Do not make the mistake of sending them a simple standard resume.